1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the distribution of news and information, and more particularly to a method of distributing news and information in audio form directly to the homes or businesses of a plurality of users.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous systems have been developed to transmit digital information on FM sub-carriers. Schwob, U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,011, teaches a single sideband communication system with FM data capacity for transmission of analog voice signals. Various commercial systems have been developed to transmit data to a personal computer via an FM broadcast. Command Audio Corporation has also developed a system to deliver data directly to a special portable electronic device for review by a user. The Command Audio technology is embodied by several patents, including Ryan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,806 and Morrison, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,629.
Various products and services have been developed to broadly distribute information via computer or cable networks in different formats, including multimedia. Funk, U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,162 describes a high volume e-mail xe2x80x9cnewspaper.xe2x80x9d Lang, U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,839 describes an improved VCR (xe2x80x9cVCR-ETxe2x80x9d) that is capable of storing audio-video programs in digital format for editing, copying and storing on magnetic disk for distribution to other VCR-ET machines. Gutle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,937 discloses a method for distributing multimedia documents. Hickey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,835 discloses an audio-visual inventory and playback control system. Beard, U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,942 discloses a method for multiplexed encoding of digital audio information that allows higher data flow rate than allowed with traditional storage/transfer media.
The prior art also teaches the use of computers to synthesize human speech from text data. Hutchins, U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,893 describes a method and apparatus for speech synthesis from strings of words. Case, U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,323 describes a system for producing voice files from an automated concatenated voice system based on pre-recorded recordings of a voice talent.
The prior art teaches the use of computers to distribute customized data directly to consumers. However, the prior art does not teach the present method of distributing data in an audio format with an audio table of contents, the audio format and audio table of contents making the data readily accessible by a plurality of consumers even when the consumer is engaged in another activity such as driving a vehicle. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.
The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below.
The present invention provides an audio data distribution apparatus and method of use to distribute audio data to a plurality of users in a format that is easy to access even when the user is performing another task such as driving a vehicle. The audio data distribution apparatus preferably includes a central computer that disseminates specially formatted audio data to a local computer for transfer to and use on an audio data player. The method for the distribution of audio data includes a data collection process, a data distribution process, and a data selection and playing process. In the data collection process, a plurality of text articles are converted into audio data and formatted for storage on a plurality of additional data storage tracks. From this data, an audio table of contents is generated which describes the information within the audio data, the audio table of contents being formatted for storage on a first data storage track. In the data distribution process, the audio data and the audio table of contents are then downloaded to a digital storage disk. The audio table of contents is written onto the first data storage track of the digital storage disk and the audio data is written onto the plurality of additional data storage tracks. In the data selection and playing process, the user plays the digital storage disk in an audio data player to listen first to the audio table of contents and then to selected audio data.
A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an audio data distribution apparatus and method having advantages not taught by the prior art.
Another objective is to provide an audio data distribution apparatus and method that can disseminate audio data with an audio table of contents directly to large numbers of users in a form that can be easily distributed, browsed, selected, and enjoyed, preferably during a commute in a vehicle or by the visually impaired.
A further objective is to provide an audio data distribution apparatus and method to provide inexpensive custom distribution of information in audio format so the information can be used and enjoyed by everyone, including the blind and the illiterate.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.